Sacramento F Abdur-Rahim retires

[resistanze]

Sacramento F Abdur-Rahim retires with knee woes

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)—Sacramento Kings forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim retired Monday because of a persistent right knee injury.

The 31-year-old Abdur-Rahim played 12 NBA seasons for four teams, beginning his career in 1996 when the Vancouver Grizzlies made him the third overall draft pick. The 2002 All-Star averaged 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in his career, but the power forward reached the playoffs just once, with the Kings in 2006.

He appeared in just six games last season before getting season-ending surgery in December on his long-injured right knee. The former California star had two surgeries on his knee in six months last year to clean out the joint, but the pace of his recovery was frustratingly slow.

“I came to grips with the fact that, health-wise, I won’t be able to get back to the condition and level that is needed to play in the NBA,” Abdur-Rahim said. “My right knee has become arthritic over the years, and is to the point where it won’t allow me do the things and play at the level at which I’m accustomed to playing. As tough as it is to come to grips with, it’s the reality.”

Abdur-Rahim also played for Atlanta and Portland before joining the Kings in 2005. He averaged at least 18.7 points in each of his first 7 1/2 NBA seasons while becoming the sixth-youngest player in NBA history to score 10,000 points, but knee problems plagued his three years with the Kings.

“He has had an exemplary career as a player and citizen,” said Geoff Petrie, the Kings’ president of basketball operations. “It is unfortunate for any productive career to be felled by injury. However, no one can ever doubt Shareef’s effort, commitment or desire to excel.”

The Kings plan to hire Abdur-Rahim to fill a yet-to-be-determined job with the organization, Petrie said.

[lefty]

That sucks

So long, Reef :toast

[tlongII]

That's a bummer for Reef. He's a class guy.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Always wished he'd make a comeback. Sadly not. Oh well, have a good one outside the NBA Shareef. :toast

[Medvedenko]

I was always a fan of reef. A very talented player no doubt, however he just couldn't get on a team that was solid where he wasn't already injured. I blame Big Country Reeves on this one :)

[BacktoBasics]

Most waste of a talent ever.

[N4th4n]

Most waste of a talent ever.

Ever?....Really?:wow

[resistanze]

Besides the fact he made Josh Howard look like MJ in the 4th quarter, he was a talented one.

[JamStone]

Guess Rod Thorn made the right call a few years ago.

[m33p0]

Most waste of a talent ever.
i would vote Derrick Coleman for that... err... distinction.

[BacktoBasics]

Ever?....Really?:wowThe guy was a solid player. He could play a few different positions of the court. He had reasonable range. He could defend and rebound. He had a great attitude and was generally regarded as a good person.

He accomplished nothing outside of stats and a single All-Star appearence.

[JamStone]

Yeah, most waste of a talent is too extreme. Shareef wasn't even an elite athlete and had average size for the power forward position, while lacking the quickness and agility to play small forward all the time. He was a very good talent, but not that huge of a waste.

Derrick Coleman was a great example. Michael Ray Richardson is another. Heck there are current NBA players like Vince Carter and Eddy Curry that I would classify as bigger wastes of talent.

And, why would a "solid player" be the most wasted talent ever?

[Reggie Miller]

Most waste of a talent ever.


I've got quite a few I would list before SAR.

Len Bias
World B. Free
Derrick Coleman
Teen Wolf
Cornbread (do fictional characters count?)

[baseline bum]

Len Bias is easily the greatest waste of talent ever.

[T Park]

Most waste of a talent ever.

Richard Dumas and Roy Tarpley come quicker to mind than Shareef Abdur Raheem.

[T Park]

Len Bias is easily the greatest waste of talent ever.

Waste of potential as well.

[Sissiborgo]

Good for him pretty nice player..

[BacktoBasics]

Well I'm not saying waste of potential here. There are tons of guys who pissed away their talent or careers. This guy played a full career and ended up as a pretty solid player. He played 11 seasons I think it said. Most of your wasted talent names didn't even get pasted a few seasons if any.

The only comparable player I see listed was Coleman who I'll probably agree was a bigger waste of talent. He had it and never really used it like he should. With Coleman its a more personal things with SAR he was simply stuck 90% of his career. He wasted his game helping a team achieve nothing. Its a wasted career.....I'm not discussing guys who wasted their potential. SAR performed, he just got nothing out of it other than a paycheck.

[Obstructed_View]

SAR retires and the odds of every team making the playoffs go up by a few percentage points...

[Spurs Brazil]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/54502/20080923/kings_could_get_cap_relief_from_abdur_rahim/

If NBA doctors confirm that Shareef Abdur-Rahim's knee injury was the reason for his retirement, the Kings would get salary cap relief for the 2009-10 season, according to Sacramento Bee.

Abdur-Rahim is owed $6.6 million next season. He retired too close to the 2008-09 season to allow Sacramento to apply for cap relief this year.

[bdictjames]

I always knew Shareef was good by his stats, but seeing these from other people makes me appreciate him more. Good luck on his non-NBA career.

[TheSanityAnnex]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/54502/20080923/kings_could_get_cap_relief_from_abdur_rahim/

If NBA doctors confirm that Shareef Abdur-Rahim's knee injury was the reason for his retirement, the Kings would get salary cap relief for the 2009-10 season, according to Sacramento Bee.

Abdur-Rahim is owed $6.6 million next season. He retired too close to the 2008-09 season to allow Sacramento to apply for cap relief this year.That is always nice to hear.

I wouldn't be surprised if he continued on with the Kings as a coach for their bigs.

[Trainwreck2100]

It seems like just yesterday he was giving blood on an episode of Hang Time

[MrChug]

Len Bias is easily the greatest waste of talent ever.

FTW

I think he used his skill well and was one of the first "tweeners" that really made it work to his advantage. I like his style and demeanor quite a bit.

[JamStone]

Well I'm not saying waste of potential here. There are tons of guys who pissed away their talent or careers. This guy played a full career and ended up as a pretty solid player. He played 11 seasons I think it said. Most of your wasted talent names didn't even get pasted a few seasons if any.

The only comparable player I see listed was Coleman who I'll probably agree was a bigger waste of talent. He had it and never really used it like he should. With Coleman its a more personal things with SAR he was simply stuck 90% of his career. He wasted his game helping a team achieve nothing. Its a wasted career.....I'm not discussing guys who wasted their potential. SAR performed, he just got nothing out of it other than a paycheck.

I understand what you mean now. You're talking about a very good player, not necessarily HOF or even all star caliber, never making an impact other than putting up solid numbers on bad teams. You're basically calling him a Reggie Theus type player. A very good player, probably could have helped a good team, but had to star on shitty teams that never did shit in the playoffs.

That makes more sense. But, still likely an exaggeration to call him "most" waste of talent ever.

[Reggie Miller]

I understand what you mean now. You're talking about a very good player, not necessarily HOF or even all star caliber, never making an impact other than putting up solid numbers on bad teams. You're basically calling him a Reggie Theus type player. A very good player, probably could have helped a good team, but had to star on shitty teams that never did shit in the playoffs.

That makes more sense. But, still likely an exaggeration to call him "most" waste of talent ever.

Sort of unrelated, sort of related:

People wouldn't sleep on the Big O so much if he had played for better teams.

[BacktoBasics]

I understand what you mean now. You're talking about a very good player, not necessarily HOF or even all star caliber, never making an impact other than putting up solid numbers on bad teams. You're basically calling him a Reggie Theus type player. A very good player, probably could have helped a good team, but had to star on shitty teams that never did shit in the playoffs.

That makes more sense. But, still likely an exaggeration to call him "most" waste of talent ever.Exactly my point.